Tesla Supercharger Experience

[Doug]

CCS in America is the Betamax of EV charging standards. VHS/Tesla won. Settled law. But I am just a lowly EV owner. Anybody who disagrees that the glorious, cheaper, so ubiquitous, so always working, so ultra reliable Tesla SC network is not so, well, take it up with Rivian. And Ford. And GM. And Volvo. And Toyota. And Mercedes. And Honda. And Nissan. And Polestar and find out why the hell each one has switched charging ports to...drum roll...wait for it...TESLA!!!

Tesla SC network is so great, everybody else a far distant second, so excellent, so pretty much everywhere that its charging port became an INDUSTRY STANDARD.

Just the facts, ma'am.

I agree Tesla is usually pretty reliable. They are not perfect but probably the best of the bunch. I know many will laugh at this but I have had almost as good of success at EA as Tesla chargers. Also there are not Tesla chargers everywhere that are open to Rivian. As earlier posts in this thread highlight SD has exactly one charger that can charge a Rivian in the whole state and it is not on I90. So it parts of the country we have to rely on other chargers. Also they are not always the cheapest at least in our area. While SD may not be a destination for most people I have to drive thru it to get to the beautiful western states.

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[Motoarzon]

That is not sufficient. Many V3 and V4 superchargers are not open to Rivians.


The "Rivian interface" shows exactly the same information as the Tesla app, because Rivian uses the Tesla API to get the real-time data on charger availability and status. If you have the same filters set, you will see the same data.

I'm a simple man, I follow the Tesla app and charge my EV's at "Tesla" superchargers and I "never" get a headache. I dare try to use any of the inferior garbage CCS network providers...and I "do get" a headache. This all from almost 8yrs owning EV's and past experiences.

 

[emoore]

CCS in America is the Betamax of EV charging standards. VHS/Tesla won. Settled law. But I am just a lowly EV owner. Anybody who disagrees that the glorious, cheaper, so ubiquitous, so always working, so ultra reliable Tesla SC network is not so, well, take it up with Rivian. And Ford. And GM. And Volvo. And Toyota. And Mercedes. And Honda. And Nissan. And Polestar and find out why the hell each one has switched charging ports to...drum roll...wait for it...TESLA!!!

Tesla SC network is so great, everybody else a far distant second, so excellent, so pretty much everywhere that its charging port became an INDUSTRY STANDARD.

Just the facts, ma'am.

Agree but that’s assuming there is a Tesla supercharger around. Many places in the Midwest and west that don’t have superchargers open to other EVs. And that’s a problem.

 

[HaveBlue]

Boy, a hell of a lot to unpack here.

I suppose the rivian app works just fine. I figure I'll never know. Because for me the Tesla app tells me all I need to know and do to charge my Rivian. Not putting the Rivian app down, and nothing false about using the Tesla network only. I am indeed telling you, the unbeatable Tesla network is for all intents and purposes the only one I ever will use for both my Teslas and my Rivian. Only in that seemingly unlikely event that I don't find a great Tesla supercharger, I may use the others. And actually, the main reasons why I may never use another network is because many of them are unreliable and pretty much other than Tesla, as far as I am concerned, all those other networks are extortionists, rip-offs, pickpockets, scammers, and thieves. Every last one of them.

Not sure what you mean by minimal planning. Have been driving Teslas for 5 years; my Rivian for a year and a half. Hardly ever need to no any planning of my own. My Teslas plan and my Rivian plans most everything route and charging for me. Tons of trips I've taken that way. Not one ever failed. For my Rivian, my Tesla app indeed tells me which chargers to use, where to stop. Nothing for me to assume or second guess; thus, I am at a loss trying to figure out how I possibly could get a Tesla supercharger wrong, or how the Tesla app could send me to the wrong charger for my Rivian. It has never happened. It never will happen. It ain't gonna happen.

Perhaps if someone does not know anything about an EV, a newbie, I would think it is up to that person to learn the ins and outs, get educated. Precisely what I did with my first Tesla 5 years ago.

All I know is that the glorious Tesla supercharger network is second to none, full stop. Settled law, not a point of debate. And that is not I talking. I am just a messenger. Tesla not only designed EVs, it also designed the machine to build the machine, and it smartly designed the infrastructure to charge the machine. There is nothing else out there like the Tesla network. Have used it tons of times. I know it will be there when I get there; I know it will be working just fine when I get there; And it will have plenty of chargers, too. AND IT WILL COST LESS. It's all a given, Although others may be getting better, it pretty much has been flip a coin for some of those lesser networks having a charger ready and working when you get there. Good luck. Add the pickpocket prices on top of that. Tons of horror stories on this out there. Again, it is not I talking.

Boy, anybody doing all the ICE-like narrative and planning you mention, perhaps an EV is not for that person.

I never said don't worry about charging. For me, all the places I've been to, tons of them, I always have found a Tesla SC ready and waiting. It's a given.

So no, there is no false narrative here from my end. Just a bunch of facts as my experience travelling in my glorious Teslas and my Rivian has shown me.

Lastly, as a practical matter, I most absolutely can travel in either of my EVs anywhere I choose to without any charging issues. Have used a lot of the Tesla SC network forever to know that this is true. It is no accident the following saying from many that stuck out there for so long: want to do road tripping? Get a Tesla.

If you use the Rivian screen, it will give you the Tesla stations you can charge at as well as CCS options like RAN. The Tesla app won't do that. I go to places where there is no Tesla station available to Rivians sometimes. That makes Tesla not always more reliable.

 

[UnsungZero_OldTimeAdMan]

If you use the Rivian screen, it will give you the Tesla stations you can charge at as well as CCS options like RAN. The Tesla app won't do that. I go to places where there is no Tesla station available to Rivians sometimes. That makes Tesla not always more reliable.

But... that's a misuse of “reliable”. Reliability is whether a dispenser/site that is available to you could deliver consistently without failure. If said Supercharger is not open to your non-Tesla, it is effectively nonexistent and irrelevant. It's relevancy, not reliability. It’s like showing up at a hydrogen refueling station when you don’t even own a hydrogen car. Or going to a member-only co-op gas station when you're not a member. Much has been published, discussed and shared about Supercharger access. Any non-Tesla drivers who continue to assume all sites are relevant to them have simply not done their own part.

As for the back-and-forth arguments over Supercharger vs other networks... Supercharger is just on one of the networks available/relevant to Rivian owners. And in present day, it happens to be the largest, more comprehensive (coast-to-coast) and reliable network in the US. With time, and continued growth of other networks, there may be a day when that will no longer be true—especially if Musk continues to prioritize himself, his opinion, over what is actually good for Tesla. And while it is the largest network operating in the US, its coverage isn't complete. There are areas that are better served by others. So, it's a bit moot to argue which is better based on each person's narrow perspective/exposure... Do whatever works for you and use whatever is available to you, wherever you are. And realize your personal experience isn't universal. It's just your experience. There are no winners to be declared or prizes to be had at the end of each argument. The day when reliable DCFC sites are as common as gas stations are, that is the day we all win.

And unless your Rivian's nav and mobile app is glitching or non-functional, there is no reason to use the Tesla app to find a relevant Supercharger. It's just one of the ways. Since Rivian's purchase of ABRP and joining Tesla's NACS Partnership, its software has integrated relevant Supercharger sites. As a Rivian driver, the primary reason to use the Tesla app is to initiate sessions if they are enrolled to take advantage of lower pricing (once they break even on the $12.99/mo membership fee). Take stock of how software was between '21 ~'22 and compare to present day. Rivian has done much since and I think customers take it for granted far too often.

 

[SANZC02]

My only rule when planning my EV trips is always have a plan B for charging. It is actually harder in my Tesla because it is an older model that does not support CCS so plan A is easy, plan B a little harder.

Interesting enough, the only 2 times I actually needed a plan B was when the Tesla SC Magic Dock station in Foxborough, MA would not start a session on my R1S, I had to use my plan B which was an EA station a few miles away. The other one was when the Supercharger in Indio, CA had been taken off line right before I pulled in and the tech said it would be down for a few hours, had to go to a less convenient location in La Quinta.

I will say, I’ve had my Tesla for 9 years, last Month took it on a 7k mile cross country trip, over the years I’ve seen the SuperCharger site maintenance slip down in quality. The sites always used to be super nice and clean. I’m seeing them dirtier with more cabinets that are in rough shape with loose or missing panels. Some cabinets bent from being backed into, and more cabinets that are out of service or de-rated than in the earlier years. I’m sure this has a lot to do with the number of stations and sessions they support.

Still the SuperCharger stations are a great network but for your best travel experience always have a plan B.

 

[UnsungZero_OldTimeAdMan]

I will say, I’ve had my Tesla for 9 years, last Month took it on a 7k mile cross country trip, over the years I’ve seen the SuperCharger site maintenance slip down in quality.

And I bet timeline of that observation matches Musk's growing lack of attention on Tesla... and his firing of the entire Supercharger team (which was his reaction to such accusations).

 

[HaveBlue]

But... that's a misuse of “reliable”. Reliability is whether a dispenser/site that is available to you could deliver consistently without failure. If said Supercharger is not open to your non-Tesla, it is effectively nonexistent and irrelevant. It's relevancy, not reliability. It’s like showing up at a hydrogen refueling station when you don’t even own a hydrogen car. Or going to a member-only co-op gas station when you're not a member. Much has been published, discussed and shared about Supercharger access. Any non-Tesla drivers who continue to assume all sites are relevant to them have simply not done their own part.

As for the back-and-forth arguments over Supercharger vs other networks... Supercharger is just on one of the networks available/relevant to Rivian owners. And in present day, it happens to be the largest, more comprehensive (coast-to-coast) and reliable network in the US. With time, and continued growth of other networks, there may be a day when that will no longer be true—especially if Musk continues to prioritize himself, his opinion, over what is actually good for Tesla. And while it is the largest network operating in the US, its coverage isn't complete. There are areas that are better served by others. So, it's a bit moot to argue which is better based on each person's narrow perspective/exposure... Do whatever works for you and use whatever is available to you, wherever you are. And realize your personal experience isn't universal. It's just your experience. There are no winners to be declared or prizes to be had at the end of each argument. The day when reliable DCFC sites are as common as gas stations are, that is the day we all win.

And unless your Rivian's nav and mobile app is glitching or non-functional, there is no reason to use the Tesla app to find a relevant Supercharger. It's just one of the ways. Since Rivian's purchase of ABRP and joining Tesla's NACS Partnership, its software has integrated relevant Supercharger sites. As a Rivian driver, the primary reason to use the Tesla app is to initiate sessions if they are enrolled to take advantage of lower pricing (once they break even on the $12.99/mo membership fee). Take stock of how software was between '21 ~'22 and compare to present day. Rivian has done much since and I think customers take it for granted far too often.

Reliable for most people is if you go to Chevron stations and only half of them have gas and when the only one in town doesn't have gas, don't rely on it. Unfortunately the charging world is unreliable in general. When half the ea stations didn't work, people need two different adapters and a handful of apps that sometimes work it's a confusing deal. Hence this thread from the OP.

 

[Ingo B]

FWIW, I was guilty of being too lax on trip planning on a recent trip and got caught at a non-compliant Tesla SC. Neither the Tesla app nor my Rivian nav displayed said SC as an option, and me being me, just thought it was poor programming on their part and tried anyway. The plug didn't get stuck though. Just got the infinite "waiting for charger" message.

 

[bigsky]

I agree Tesla is usually pretty reliable. They are not perfect but probably the best of the bunch. I know many will laugh at this but I have had almost as good of success at EA as Tesla chargers. Also there are not Tesla chargers everywhere that are open to Rivian. As earlier posts in this thread highlight SD has exactly one charger that can charge a Rivian in the whole state and it is not on I90. So it parts of the country we have to rely on other chargers. Also they are not always the cheapest at least in our area. While SD may not be a destination for most people I have to drive thru it to get to the beautiful western states.

LMAO, LMAO. Tesla supechargers as good or as bad as EA chargers. LMAO, ROFLMAO!!
You certainly could not be more wrong if you tried.
The glorious, divine, second-to-none Tesla supercharger network is ultra reliable. You know it will be there working and ready when you get there. So much so that it is taken for granted, considered a given.
To even suggest that one will have as much success with Tesla SCs as with EA chargers is hands down the dumbest, most asinine and misguided comment ever posted on any forum.
Just because not all Tesla chargers cater to Rivian DOES NOT mean the Tesla SC is unreliable. Good lord, try harder next time.

 

[Doug]

LMAO, LMAO. Tesla supechargers as good or as bad as EA chargers. LMAO, ROFLMAO!!
You certainly could not be more wrong if you tried.
The glorious, divine, second-to-none Tesla supercharger network is ultra reliable. You know it will be there working and ready when you get there. So much so that it is taken for granted, considered a given.
To even suggest that one will have as much success with Tesla SCs as with EA chargers is hands down the dumbest, most asinine and misguided comment ever posted on any forum.
Just because not all Tesla chargers cater to Rivian DOES NOT mean the Tesla SC is unreliable. Good lord, try harder next time.

Sorry if I hurt your Tesla fanboy feelings. I was just stating my experience. I have had two different Tesla charging experiences that were limited by the charger. I probably have had about that same amount at EA and have used EA at least 4 times as much as Tesla so you do the math on that one. I stand by my post that yes Tesla probably is the most reliable across the whole country, but they are extremely limited in our area that are open to Rivian's to use. I have used EA all across the Midwest and rarely have issues. Maybe different where you live. Also, I did not say they were unreliable. I said they were not perfect. If you think they are perfect that is the beauty of a forum everyone is entitled to their opinion based on their experience.

 

[pointless]

CCS in America is the Betamax of EV charging standards. VHS/Tesla won. Settled law.

Betamax was superior.
NACS is a better design. AC+DC in a single smaller connector.

 

[ohseedee]

Just finished a road trip with 20 charging stops: 16 Tesla, 3 EA, 1 Rivian. First time using my Tesla adapter — flawless experience. Fast, no waits, zero issues. EA was a disaster. Rivian worked but de-rated quickly with a hot plug message.

Got the Tesla membership just for the trip — now it’s my go-to. Plug & Charge doesn’t work with it, which is a bit annoying, but the app makes it easy.

 

[Doug]

Just finished a road trip with 20 charging stops: 16 Tesla, 3 EA, 1 Rivian. First time using my Tesla adapter — flawless experience. Fast, no waits, zero issues. EA was a disaster. Rivian worked but de-rated quickly with a hot plug message.

Got the Tesla membership just for the trip — now it’s my go-to. Plug & Charge doesn’t work with it, which is a bit annoying, but the app makes it easy.

Did the EA chargers not work at all or were they slow? I know a lot of companies have free charging at EA so sometimes they are full of people charging to 100% too. We have fewer EVS in the Midwest, so the EA stations usually work fine, and they are newer than some other parts of the country. I can go weeks without seeing another Rivian. Tesla and Rivian are great for charging since without Tesla membership you can plug and charge. That is one reason I use Tesla chargers. My closest Rivian charger is almost 300 miles East and 900 miles West.

 

[Feetdry]

I paid for the Tesla membership before I crossed the US and used my Rivian supplied adapter. We probably used 25 Tesla chargers and got the process down so well that we were charging in less than a minute at Tesla chargers. The Rivian chargers worked as well and, of course, used no adapter. Only tried one EA and it took a while to get it going and the Charge Points I tried were dead because of a nearby forest fire.

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